Even Though We're In The Army, We're Family
by GoldGuardian2418
Summary: When Max is sick with a cold, his uncle Cookmeister steps up to take care of him. Done as a request for PrvMakedonec. :)


**PrvMakedonec, who owns Max, asked for this one. Here you go, Amigo! Sorry it took me so long to do this one for you. Enjoy! :)**

 **Ben 10 belongs to Cartoon Network and Man of Action. I own nothing.**

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 **Even Though We're In The Army, We're Family**

Max woke up that morning and was ready to head to his uncle's office when he felt dizzy and then felt really hot. Wondering if someone had turned up the heat in the barracks, he went to go check when he tripped and fell down, his body aching. Wondering if he might have overdone it in training, he tried to think back, but his head hurt.

Sergeant Cookmeister went down to the barracks, concerned that his nephew had not shown up in his office for duty. If it had been any of the other men, he might have been a bit upset, but where it was his nephew, he assumed something else had come up and went to check on Max. He knew his nephew was always dependable and Max had very few days absent on his record. Two to be exact. Two days out of the seven years he had been serving in the Gourmand army.

Reaching the barracks, he opened the door to find Max on the floor, breathing hard and he looked pale. "Max?" He asked, kneeling down beside his nephew, who opened his eyes and looked at his uncle.

"Sergeant, sir," he said weakly, bringing up one hand weakly in a salute, but just barely held back a groan.

Wasting no time, Cookmeister lifted up his nephew and carried him to his office, placing him on the bed in the room behind his office, which was his private quarters. Covering Max with a warm blanket, the Perk Sergeant sent for a medic. The closest medic was the Murk medic and he arrived quickly. "What seems to be the trouble, Sergeant, sir?" He asked.

"My nephew. I found him laying on the floor and he doesn't look right," Cookmeister said worriedly.

The medic instantly went into the room and began giving Max an examination and the Perk General woke up. "Doc?" He asked weakly.

The Murk doctor looked a bit grim. "Well, it's not overly serious, Sergeant," he said. "But the General has a bad cold."

"Is that why I feel really hot?" Max asked, his voice still weak.

"I'm afraid so, General," the medic replied, taking his temperature and nodding. "I strongly urge bed rest, hot tea, good food, and plenty of fluids for about a week. If you do exactly that, you should be back on your feet by then."

"A week, sir?"

The Murk doctor nodded, giving Max a sympathetic look. "It's a bad cold and one that will take more than just a few days to recover from," he said gently.

Cookmeister nodded. "Alright," he said. "Is there perhaps any medicine that might help too?"

Nodding, the doctor handed the Sergeant medicine and instructions on how to make it and Cookmeister immediately set about to take care of Max and help him get well so he'd be back on his feet in a week.

Max groaned as he lay on the bed and closed his eyes, falling asleep, something that made his uncle feel relief. Sleep was another important thing to deal with sickness and the doctor did say plenty of rest. And it looked like he was sleeping alright, but Cookmeister got some pain medicine too, just in case.

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 _Two days later…_

"A-CHOOOOOOOOO!"

A column of green fire shot out of Max's mouth as he sneezed, the fire barely dissipating in time before it reached some of the furniture in the room. Cookmeister looked worried. "Good thing I fireproofed everything," he said.

"Sorry, Uncle," Max sniffed.

"Ah, you're sick, my boy," his uncle said gently. "You certainly can't help sneezing when you've got a cold."

He brought over some hot soup. "I made you some hot soup as the doctor ordered. Along with some more medicine."

"Ugh," Max groaned. "Medicine so I don't lose my lunch, medicine for my cold. At least the soup is good."

Cookmeister had to chuckle. Apparently, the medicine for Max's cold didn't taste great and when mixed with the other medicine so he didn't lose the contents in his stomach made the taste worse, so he tried to make up for it by making the soup taste good, even if it was just broth sometimes. "Don't worry, Max," he said. "You'll be better soon."

The Perk General looked at his uncle. "But, Uncle, the men, my work," he said softly. "Who's doing my job while I'm ill?"

"Some of your men are covering for you," the Sergeant said. "They have split the work between them and have been covering for you between their shifts."

Max was grateful to the men under him. "Remind me to give them some extra vacation time," he said. "They'll deserve it for doing not only their work, but my work too. And I think one of them has a mate expecting a baby soon."

Cookmeister nodded. "Yes, he does," he said. "And you're due for vacation time too."

"Yeah," Max said. "Have to use it when I'm better after I make up for missing this week."

"Not so, my boy," the Sergeant said. "I've already fixed it so that your sick time is your vacation time."

"But Uncle, that means…,"

Before he could protest, his uncle held up a hand of silence. "Have you taken a vacation in seven years, General?" He asked.

"No, sir," Max said truthfully. He hadn't because he never knew if he might need a day off and so had saved his vacation time.

"Well, according to records, you have about three-months of vacation time saved up," Cookmeister said. "So, you've got plenty to enjoy later on and you won't miss any pay if I put this week down under vacation time. That way, you'll get better sooner."

Well, the Perk General couldn't argue that and he gave his uncle a grateful look. "Thanks, Uncle," he said.

"You're welcome, my boy," his uncle said. "You've served both our planet and our queen well."

Max smiled at that. "Thanks," he said. "I was just doing my job."

"And now I'm doing my job," Cookmeister said. "Taking care of you when you're sick."

Max chuckled. "I don't remember that being on your job description," he said.

"It's not," said his uncle. "But taking care of my nephew is something I'll do anytime."

"Thanks," the Perk General said.

By the time the end of the week arrived, Max was back on his feet and granted bonus vacation time to his men, thanking them for keeping things going smoothly while he was ill.

He even asked the queen to give his uncle some vacation time too as a thank you for taking care of him when he was sick.

After all, while they were in the army, they were family too.

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 **Please leave a review, but no flames!**

 **GoldGuardian2418**


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